Farhan ali chishti biography definitions

Introduction

The Chishtiyya Order is the most popular Sufi Order in South Asia, the region with the densest population of Muslims worldwide.^[1] There, it is not just popular but also the most influential Order historically.

Chishtiyya acted as unofficial intermediaries between Muslim rulers (centralized Delhi Sultans from 1200 to 1400) and their multi-religious subject populations (predominantly Hindu but also Buddhist, Jain, and Zoroastrian).^[2][3] Later, Chishtis acted in varied roles as king-makers, popular exemplars, and local literati (in regional Sultanates 1350—1526).

The Order’s distinctive characteristics include adaptation to the South Asian environment, cultivation of devotional music and meditative techniques, and innovation in language and literature. This chapter provides an overview of the Chishtiyya Order from 1200 until 1560 in order to show its distinctive characteristics.

The Chishtiyya Order became a global order in the twentieth century